The infamous 48 frames-per-second version of Peter Jackson's Hobbit is only getting a limited release. Are Jackson and Warner Bros. bracing themselves for a big-time backlash? Months ago, Jackson screened the first footage of The Hobbit at a super-high-resolution 48 frames per second, and the response was pretty terrible. Audiences compared the new look to that of a 1970s soap opera.

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Now Variety reports that this exceptionally real footage is only going to be released in select locations (and possibly not even in every major city). We're kind of surprised they're even going through with it. But perhaps this is because there are presently zero theaters in America that can screen such a high frame rate. The upgrade for theaters won't be available until September this year.

That being said, Variety is also protesting that the new footage looks vastly better than what was screened at CinemaCon. Jackson and the studio are firmly convinced that this is the future of cinema, and it looks like The Hobbit will be their test subject.